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November 5-6, 2026

Pediatric Palliative Oncology Academic Leadership Collaborative & Symposium

Building Bridges and Facilitating our Future: Harnessing Tomorrow's Technology for Connection and Collaboration Today

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Virtual option available

About the symposium

The Pediatric Palliative Oncology Academic Leadership Collaborative & Symposium aims to bring together scientists, clinicians, and professionals across disciplines to advance the field through scholarship, education, and collaboration. This year’s theme is “Building Bridges and Facilitating our Future: Harnessing Tomorrow's Technology for Connection and Collaboration Today”, with an emphasis on interactive engagement to advance the field through the incorporation of emerging technology in academic pediatric palliative oncology.

Featured experts, including interprofessional investigators, educators, clinicians, bereaved parents, and advocates, will address a host of topics through lectures and interactive workshops. Scientific presentations and poster sessions in research, education, and quality improvement will foster evidence-based knowledge dissemination and networking in pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) palliative oncology.

Oncology and palliative care clinicians, educators, and researchers across disciplines are encouraged to attend. We extend a special welcome to psychosocial professionals, patient/family partners, advocates, and trainees. 

Please feel free to reach out to symposium chair, Dr. Deena Levine, if you have any questions.


Faculty

Deena Levine, MD FAAP FAAHPM - Symposium Chair
Associate Member - Department of Oncology
Division Director - Division of Quality of Life and Palliative Care
Medical Director – Palliative Care & Integrative Medicine Services
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Scientific Advisory Board

Jackelyn Boyden, PhD, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Department of Family and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (secondary appointment)

Katharine Brock, MD, MS, FAAHPM
Associate Professor of Pediatrics – Oncology & Palliative Care, Emory University
R. Harold Harrison Chair of Pediatric Supportive Care
Director, Supportive Care Clinic, Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Emily Johnston MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Director of Pediatric Palliative Care Education and Research, Center for Palliative and Supportive Care
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Erica C. Kaye MD, MPH, FAAHPM
Associate Member, Department of Oncology
Director, Quality of Life and Palliative Care Research Program
Chair, Qualitative Research Network
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Sarah McCarthy, PhD
Director of Psychology -Robert’s Program on Sudden Unexpected Death in Pediatrics
Boston Children’s Hospital

Jennifer Snaman, MD, MS, FAAHPM
Director of Pediatric Palliative Care Research
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Molly Taylor, MD, MS
University of Washington / Seattle Children’s Hospital

Meaghann Weaver MD, PhD, MPH, HEC-C
Associate Member - Bioethicist and Palliative Care Physician
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Overview

Event: Pediatric Palliative Oncology Academic Leadership Collaborative & Symposium


Date: November 5-6, 2026


Location: 
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Virtual option available



Symposium chair and event contact: 
Deena Levine, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM
deena.levine@stjude.org

Registration deadlines & fees

Registration will open soon.

Registration fees are fully refundable due to cancellation through October 15, 2026 (minus a small processing fee). If you need to alter or cancel your registration, please contact Dr. Deena Levine
 

Registration Type Cost
In-person attendance
Physicians $249
Non-physicians $199
Trainees $149
Virtual registration
With continuing education credit $75
Without continuing education credit $25

Agenda & Abstracts

The agenda for the 2026 symposium will be available soon. See below for last year's agenda, which includes links to some presentation videos. 

November 6, 2025

Time Event
7:00-8:00 a.m. Registration & Breakfast
8:00-9:00 a.m. Opening Plenary & Grand Rounds: I Thought I Was the Expert—Then I Became the Patient’s Mom
Sarah McCarthy, PhD, MPH
9:00-9:45 a.m. Expert Panel
Partnership Across the Spectrum for Palliative Care Research- 5 ways I incorporated patients/parents/advocates/other disciplines


Jennifer Snaman, MD, MS, FAAHPM
Meaghann Weaver, MD, PhD, MPH, HEC-C
Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH
Jacklyn Boyden, PhD, MPH, RN
Casey Walsh, PhD, LICSW

9:45-10:00 a.m. Break 
10:00-10:50 a.m.
Partnering with Patients, Parents, and Advocates for…(Moderator Katharine Brock, MD, MS, FAHPM)


Brittany Cowfer, MD
Learning from Lived Experience: Partnering with Families in Educational Endeavors for Healthcare Professionals
Watch video


Holly Spraker-Perlman, MD, MS, FAAHPM, ABOIM
Programmatic Development & Quality Improvement


Griffin Collins, MD, MAS
Partnering with Patients, Parents and Advocates for Advocacy and Implementation
Watch video


Sarah Daniels, PhD, CCLS
Partnering with Patients, Parents and Advocates to Advance Adolescent & Young Adult  (AYA) Research in Palliative Oncology
Watch video

10:50-11:10 a.m.
Erica Kaye, MD, MPH, FAAHPM
Elevating Community Voices Through Qualitative Research & Communication Science
Watch video
11:10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Parent Panel: Bereaved Parent Perspectives on Partnership in Palliative Research 
12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch    
1:00-1:45 p.m. Creative Modalities in Palliative Research


Allie Superdock, MD
Photohope to Photovoice: Photoelicitation for Reflection to Resilience Intervention


Trisha Paul, MD
Chronicling Cancer: A Novel Narrative Writing Intervention for AYA with cancer
Watch video
 

1:45-3:15 p.m. Podium Presentation: Narrative Medicine and Creative Approaches to Palliative Care and Bereavement (Moderator: Jennifer Snaman, MD, MS, FAAHPM)


Callie Daniels-Howell, PhD
‘In This Story, I Have Healed’: Family Narratives and Peer-Led Bereavement Support After Childhood Cancer Loss in Kenya
Watch videeo


Christy Lucas, MD
"I could write a book”: Parent narratives of the life and legacy of their child who died from cancer
Watch video


Rosanne Been, PhD
Understanding symptom burden and support needs of children with cancer and their families while at home: A qualitative study from treatment to end of life
 

Megan Schaefer, PhD
Bridging Gaps in Care: A Novel Framework for Autopsy Reviews and Interdisciplinary Bereavement Debriefings in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
Watch video

3:15-3:30 p.m. Break
3:30-5:00 p.m.

Podium Presentations: Quality of Life and Disease Directed Therapy (Moderator: Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH)


Matthew McEvoy, MD
Need a Break? – Post-Relapse Clinical Course and Decision-Making for Children with Solid Tumors
Watch video


Carolyn Humphrey, BA
Battling More Than Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis of Acute and Long-Term Impacts of ALL Therapy
Watch video


Fyeza Hasan, MBChB, PhD, FRCPC
Ethical Issues and Interprofessional Tensions: Making Decisions About Early Phase Trials for Children with Cancer at the End of Life
Watch Video


Andrea Johnson, PhD
Conceptualizing Quality of Life for Adolescents with Advanced Cancer

5:00-6:00 p.m.

Podium Presentations: Innovations in Palliative Care Education (Moderator: Jacklyn Boyden, PhD, MPH, RN)


Molly Mack, MD
Peds OncoTalk: Communication Training for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellows
Watch video


Naomi Goloff, MD, MSc
Building and Sustaining Community: A Progress Report on the Network of Pediatric Palliative Care Educators (NPPCE)
Watch video


Biplav Ghimire, MD
Impact of Palliative Care Educational Program on Knowledge and Attitude regarding Pediatric Palliative Care among Healthcare Professionals working in Nepal
Watch video

6:00-6:05 p.m.

First Day Closing Remarks
Deema Levine

6:05-8:00 p.m. Poster Presentations & Dinner Reception 

November 7, 2025

Time Event
7:30-8:00 am Breakfast 
8:00-9:20 am

The Next Frontier: Incorporating Technology in Palliative Care Progress


Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH 
Harnessing Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence for Palliative Oncology Research
Watch video


Zachary Abramson, MD, DMD
Seeing is Believing: Enhanced Communication in Pediatric Oncology
Watch video


Lei Zhang, PhD
Leveraging Multi-user Immersive VR and Generative AI to create Personalized and Meaning-centered Therapeutic Experiences for Bereaved Parents
Watch video


Andrew Walker, PhD
StreetLight Gaming and Online Team: A Space for Connection, Support, and Resilience in the Chaos of Illness
Watch video

9:20-10:00 am Podium Presentations: Harnessing Virtual Reality for Palliative Care (Moderator: Casey Walsh, PhD, LICSW)


Kimberly Hieftje, PhD
Year of the Cicadas: An Immersive VR Experience Exploring the Enduring Nature of Parental Grief 


Asher Marks, MD
Simulated Psychedelics Immercive Experience: Healthcare Intervention (Si-PHI)
Watch video

10:00-10:10 am Break
10:10-11:50 am Advancing Palliative Care Delivery Utilizing Modern Technology & Collaboration


Katharine Brock, MD, MS, FAAHPM
The Use of Technology to Enhanbce Palliative Oncology Clinical Education
Watch video


Meaghann Weaver, MD, PhD, MPH, HEC-C
Telehospice: Extending the Reach in Caring for Children in Rural Regions
Watch Video

10:50-11:30 am

Podium Presentations: Global Culture & Language (Moderator: Michael McNeil, MD, MPH)


Blanca Martinez, CMI, CHI
Beyond Words: Supporting Families Through Language and Compassion in Pediatric Palliative Oncology 


Samira Jubran, MAIS, CHI, TAFL, TCI
The Synergy of a Lingua-Cultural Mindset & Intercultural Agility in Palliative Care: Interpreting for Arabic-Speaking Pediatric Oncology Patients and Their Families

11:30 am-12:45 pm Lunch
12:45-3:00 pm

Deena Levine, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM 
Novel Ways to Promote Creativity & Collaboration Across the Spectrum

Idea Incubator: Intentional Networking & Collaboration

3:00 pm Closing
Deena Levine, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM
3:00-5:00 pm

Optional Tours

  • St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • National Civil Rights Museum